CHP calls for return to Istanbul Convention amid femicides

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has called on all political parties to exert efforts to return to the Istanbul Convention after a recent spike in femicide cases.

"[Joining] the Istanbul Convention was a symbol of the state’s commitment [against violence against women]," Özel said in an address to his parliamentary group on Oct. 8.

Özel recalled that the convention was ratified by the votes of all political parties in 2011 and Türkiye became one of the first countries that joined the convention.

Criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for withdrawing from the convention because of the pressure from the right-wing political parties in 2021, Özel claimed that the number of femicide cases has increased since then.

“That’s why we call on all political parties to come together and take action to return to the Istanbul Convention. Our women branches will hold talks with their counterparts in the coming days,” Özel suggested.

The convention was reinforcing measures to prevent femicide and offering harder punishment on the assailants, Özel recalled, blaming the government for abolishing the state’s protection for women and children.